Producer Namit Malhotra has taken a major step forward in the journey of Ramayana, one of the big projects of Indian cinema. Malhotra recently showed an edited 30‑minute video of the movie to several studios and immediately everyone started to talk about it.
Karan Johar of Dharma Productions was impressed. Johar reportedly was attracted by the scale and vision of the footage and began discussions for distribution rights in India of the film. Dharma Productions was said to have discussed acquiring the rights for ₹500 crore but the deal was signed for ₹250 crore. This is a gamechanger in the film distribution strategy and one of Bollywood’s most influential production houses will be involved with Ramayana for the Indian cinema.
Malhotra plans to present the footage in a way that makes Ramayana a global movie. By giving us a glimpse of the movie’s grandeur, the producer has generated buzz among industry people and potential partners. The edited reel was said to show the movie’s enormity, visual effects and performance all so that it can be viewed as an ambitious movie.
Ramayana is written and directed by Nitesh Tiwari and stars Ranbir Kapoor in the role of Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. Given the huge budget (₹4,000 crore) of the film, it is one of the most expensive productions in Indian cinema history. Dharma Productions will be producing it in India, so the expectations are even higher.
The film will be released on Diwali 2026— typically the festival in which large audiences come out to see films in India. Industry experts say Ramayana could be one of the biggest box office events in India these days with the timing and the movie’s big cast and star power.
Namit Malhotra’s decision to show the 30‑minute footage has not only impressed major studios but has also secured a crucial partnership with Dharma Productions. Now with India rights signed at ₹250 crore and a Diwali 2026 release on the horizon, Ramayana is set up to redefine the narrative and also set the bar for Indian cinema to contend with.
